Your fitness practice will be most healthy for mind and body when you can see it as your individual plan without holding it up against an ideal. Try not to compare your own activity with what your best friend did when she was pregnant.

Your body will tell you how it feels; attend to those cues. Strive for balance when it comes to the reproductive process and your exercise routine, and be willing to adapt to factors in your lifestyle such as stress, work, and family dynamics. If you can avoid being rigid with your fitness program, your pregnancy and your workouts will do you much more good in body and mind.

Exercise, even vigorous exercise, is healthy for a growing fetus, provided your body is accustomed to that level of exertion. Monitor your level of effort because overexerting yourself in a workout can be problematic. If you experience bleeding, hyperventilation, blinding headache, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness, stop immediately and contact your health care provider.

There are a few conditions that point to drastically reducing or eliminating exercise, and these are nonnegotiable. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop exercising and talk to your doctor:

Relentless vomiting

Abdominal or pelvic pain

Severe illness (e.g., flu)

Vaginal bleeding

Injuries

Other circumstances that could influence your workout efforts should be discussed with your provider at your initial visit. These conditions include:

Anemia

Arrhythmia

Bronchitis or asthma

Diabetes that isn’t well controlled

Morbid obesity

Severely low weight or BMI

Intrauterine growth restriction in this pregnancy

High blood pressure

Orthopedic problems or sports injuries

Epilepsy

Hyperthyroidism

Smoking

Any other medical condition that makes you unsure whether exercise is okay.

Please consult your doctor before embarking on an exercise program during pregnancy.

Fit & Healthy Pregnancy dispels generations of old wives’ tales about exercise and pregnancy. Exercise during pregnancy isn’t just safe, it’s healthy for you and your baby. This modern, comprehensive guide shows active women how to stay strong and in shape before, during, and after pregnancy.